The River Ljubljanica and the phenomenon of medieval swords from the 11th to the 15th century in watery contexts

Prispevek obravnava fenomen nenavadno velikega števila najdb srednjeveških mečev iz reke Ljubljanice na Ljubljanskem barju. Odsotnost ali pomanjkljivost najdiščnih podatkov, ki zaznamuje večino od več kot 56 odkritih primerkov, narekuje poglobljeno obravnavo t. i. notranjih pokazateljev posameznih najdb. Ti vključujejo stanje meča ob odkritju, sledove poškodb in manipulacij ter prisotnost ali odsotnost ostankov nožnice. Preučitev in upoštevanje tovrstnih dejavnikov nadgrajuje analizo tipološko-kronoloških značilnosti orožja, delno blaži izpad arheoloških podatkov o kontekstu in lahko do določene mere celo prispeva k osredotočanju interpretativnih nastavkov oziroma hipotez o okoliščinah in vzrokih potopitve. Kronološka strukturiranost mečev z vrhuncem med 12. in sredino 14. st. ter slabše oprijemljivim številom poznejših najdb, relativna maloštevilnost najdb sočasnega orožja na drogu ter konjske in konjeniške opreme, ki bi dokazovala intenzivnejše premike v obrečnem prostoru, nadalje zgoščeno pojavljanje mečev na določenih odsekih reke in končno omejena, iz okolja izvirajoča tveganja za naključne izgube v veliki meri izključujejo možnost ponavljajočih se dejanj iz trenutnih vzgibov in podpirajo domnevo, da je potopitev pomembnega dela obravnavanega orožja rezultat zavestnih odločitev oziroma namere.The contribution discusses the phenomenon of the unusually high number of medieval swords recovered from the River Ljubljanica in its stretch across the Ljubljansko barje. The majority of the over 56 sword finds is marked by an absence or lack of context data, which call for a more in-depth analysis of the so-called internal markers of individual finds, such as the state of preservation upon discovery, traces of damage or manipulation and presence/absence of scabbard remains. The results of this analysis add to those of the typo-chronological analysis of weapons and even, to a certain degree, help focus the study on the interpretations or hypotheses concerning the circumstances and causes that brought the swords to the bottom of the river. Given the results of the analyses, the author argues that the chronological structure of the swords, with a peak between the 12th and the mid-14th century, coupled with difficulties in categorising such finds from later periods, a relative paucity of the finds of contemporary pole weapons, as well as horse and riding gear that would suggest more intensive movements in the riparian areas, a concentrated occurrence of swords in certain sections of the riverbed and finally limited risks of accidental loss deriving from the natural environment largely exclude the possibility of repeated accidental loss and support the supposition of an important part of the weapons under discussion being immersed as the result of conscious decisions or intent

"Pontonium" iz Lip na Ljubljanskem barju

The article presents a river barge that was discovered in 1890 at Lipe on the Ljubljana moor. Radiocarbon analysis of the preserved wooden parts indicates that the barge was in use during the 2nd century BC. It pertains to vessels of the sewn type and is distributed throughout the Mediterranean and especially in the northern Adriatic region. Certain characteristics of it's construction connect it with the so-called 'Roman - Celtic' river barges that are distributed throughout the central and western European region. The site circumstances upon discovery are discussed, in addition to an attempt to determine the precise location of the barge. A description of the individual structural elements and an examination of the barge in view of Roman shipbuilding technologies follows. An historical-archaeological context for the barge and the author's view of the development of events in the south-eastern Alpine region at the beginning of the expansion of Roman influence is described in the continuation. The author speaks in favour of the thesis that the barge represents a Roman military cargo vessel. An interpretation of the stratigraphic position of the find and an attempt to reveal the then natural habitat are provided at the end of the article.V prispevku je predstavljena rečna ladja, odkrita leta 1890 pri Lipah na Ljubljanskem barju. Radiokarbonska analiza ohranjenih lesenih delov nakazuje, da je bila ladja v uporabi v 2. st. pr. n. š. Sodi med plovila šivanega tipa, razprostranjena na sredozemskem in predvsem severnojadranskem območju, nekatere konstrukcijske značilnosti pa jo povezujejo tudi s t. i. rimsko-keltskimi rečnimi ladjami, razširjenimi na območju Srednje in Zahodne Evrope. Poleg poskusa določitve natančne lokacije so obravnavane tudi okoliščine ob odkritju. Sledi opis posameznih strukturnih elementov in umestitev ladje v raziskavah antičnih ladjedelniških tehnologij. V nadaljevanju je opisan historično-arheološki kontekst, v katerem se pojavlja ladja in avtorjev pogled na razvoj dogodkov v JV Alpah v začetku rimskih vplivov. Avtor zagovarja tezo, da ladja predstavlja rimsko vojaško tovorno ladjo. V zadnjem delu prispevka sta podana interpretacija stratigrafske lege najdbe in poskus predstavitve tedanjega naravnega okolja

On the medieval sword with inlaid marks from the River Vo glajna at Bežigrad (Celje)

Prispevek predstavlja arheološko najdbo srednjeveškega meča iz obrežnih naplavin reke Voglajne pri Bežigradu, severovzhodno od Celja (Slovenija). Razmeroma dobro ohranjen meč dolžine 95,2 cm in mase 765 g je del izvorne zbirke celjskega Pokrajinskega muzeja, kamor je dospel že pred letom 1889. Orožje lahko na podlagi oblikovnih in metričnih značilnosti rezila z razmeroma širokim žlebom (tip X po E. Oakeshottu oziroma različica 5b po A. Geibigu) ter ročajnega dela z ravnim branikom in mandljastim/lečastim glavičem (kombinacijski tip 16 / var. I (16-15-9-12) po Geibigu) uvrstimo med starejše primerke mečev z glaviči tipa A po Oakeshottu in datiramo v 11. stoletje ali prvo polovico 12. stoletja. Na eni strani rezila so ostanki okoli 20 cm dolgega zaporedja tavširanih železnih znakov, ki zaradi korodiranosti površine žleba ostaja nerazvozlano. Skladnost posameznih delov orožja kaže, da gre verjetno za originalno konfiguracijo meča, domnevno izdelka ene od mečarskih delavnic v osrednjem Porenju. Najdišče meča v bližini Bežigrada, topografsko izpostavljene in strateško pomembne vzpetine v bližini vozlišča prometnih smeri med Štajersko in Kranjsko, opozarja na morebiten obstoj vojaške točke, ki je dopolnjevala nadzorne funkcije domnevanega zgodnjega oporišča grofov Savinjske marke na celjskem Zgornjem (Starem) gradu. Glede na kontekst odkritja sodi meč iz Voglajne v prevladujočo kategorijo vodnih najdb, vendar notranja evidenca orožja ne ponuja zadostnih opor za pojasnitev okoliščin potopitve.The paper presents the archaeological find of a medieval sword recovered from the riverbank deposits of the Voglajna near Bežigrad, northeast of Celje (Slovenia). The relatively well-preserved sword with a length of 95.2 cm and a mass of 765 g is part of the original collection of the Celje Regional Museum, to which it came before 1889. The shape and metric characteristics of the blade with a relatively wide fuller (Oakeshott’s Type X or Geibig’s Variant 5b) and the hilt with a short, straight crossguard and almond-shaped/lenticular pommel (Geibig’s combination Type 16 / Var. I (16-15-9-12)) show it to be an early example of swords with pommels of Oakeshott’s Type A, dating to the 11th or the first half of the 12th century. One side of the blade bears the remains of a 20 cm long sequence of inlaid iron marks, which remain indecipherable due to corrosion. The harmony of the parts seems to indicate a preserved original design, presumably produced by one of the sword workshops on the Middle Rhine. The findspot of the sword in the vicinity of Bežigrad, a topographically exposed and strategically important promontory near the intersection of the routes connecting Styria and Carniola, alerts to the possible existence of a military post that supplemented the control functions of the presumed early stronghold of the Margraves of the Savinja March on Zgornji (Stari) Grad in Celje. The find context of the sword places it in the predominant category of water finds, but the internal evidence (condition after conservation) of the weapon and the available data on the particular circumstances of the find do not provide sufficient support to explain the background of its sinking

Ostanki dveh srednjelatenskih bojevniških grobov iz Turjaške palače v Ljubljani

This contribution presents the preliminary findings on the remains of the La Tène warrior graves discovered in the Early Roman in-fill deposit during the investigation of the Auersperg Palace building area in Ljubljana in 2002. Especially noteworthy is a conglomerate of iron objects, in which there are a four times folded sword of a Middle La Tène scheme, a band-shaped shield boss, a shaft-hole axe and perhaps also a ring, which had been a part of a belt set. Adherent to the conglomerate are fragments of burnt human bones and several fragments of one or two reconstructed vessels, which were found in the same deposit in larger numbers. The presence of two hand-built pots with the characteristics of the local La Tène pottery, as well as the shaft-hole axe, typical of the Late Hallstatt warrior’s equipment, foreign to the Celtic armament, indicates that this is the grave of a native, roughly from the transition between the LT C1 and LT C2 phases or slightly later. Discovered in the same deposit, there was a once folded scabbard with its mouth decorated with unique composite motif of a dragon pair and a snake, combined with vegetative ornamentation. The scabbard is a typical piece of the LT C1b phase weaponry and belongs to another burial, supposedly slightly older than the first one.Prispevek prinaša predhodne ugotovitve o ostankih latenskih bojevniških grobov, odkritih v zgodnjerimskem nasutju med raziskavami stavbišča Turjaške palače v Ljubljani leta 2002. Izstopa sprimek železnih predmetov, ki združuje štirikrat prepognjen meč srednjelatenske sheme, trakasto ščitno grbo, uhato sekiro in morda še obroček pasne garniture. Sprimka se držijo drobci sežganih človeških kosti in več odlomkov ene ali dveh rekonstruiranih posod, ki so bili v večjem številu odkriti v istem nasutju. Prisotnost prostoročno izdelanega lonca in buče z značilnostmi lokalnega latenskega lončarstva in uhate sekire, tipičnega sestavnega dela poznohalštatskega bojnega kompleta, tujega keltski oborožitvi, kaže, da gre za grob staroselca, ki sodi okvirno na prehod med stopnjama LT C1 in LT C2 ali v starejši del stopnje LT C2. V istem nasutju je bila odkrita še prepognjena nožnica s kakovostno izdelanim okrasom ustja, ki ga sestavljajo trodelni motiv s parom zmajčkov in kačo ter rastlinski ornament. Nožnica sodi med značilne kose vojaške opreme stopnje LT C1b in pripada drugi grobni celoti, domnevno nekoliko starejši od prve

Early Roman barge from the Ljubljanica River at Sinja Gorica

Preventive underwater archaeological surveying in the bed of the Ljubljanica River, conducted at Sinja Gorica in 2008, revealed the remains of an Early Roman wooden barge from the beginning of the 1st century AD. Detailed documentation of the 4.5m long and 2.8m wide section of the boat followed in October 2012 and included photogrammetric three-dimensional modelling. The construction characteristics and size revealed a boat of the Mediterranean shipbuilding tradition, with an elongated oval shape and a flat bottom and vertical sides, constructed using the shell-first technique and planks fastened with iron clamps, while the hull was reinforced with floor-timbers in a manner not yet published in the relevant literature. The barge, made mostly of beech wood, was built soon after AD 3 according to the dendrochronological analysis. The wood is very poorly preserved. The barge was presumably used to transport cargo between Nauportus and Emona

Zgodnjerimska ladja iz Ljubljanice pri Sinji Gorici = Early Roman barge from the Ljubljanica River at Sinja Gorica

Zgodnjerimska ladja iz Ljubljanice pri Sinji Gorici = Early Roman barge from the Ljubljanica River at Sinja Goric

Poznohalštatska grobova s Kovka nad Hrastnikom v Zasavju

Several metal artefacts came to light in 2015 at Vrtača, a site below the summit of the Kovk hill above Hrastnik. It was a chance find that comprised a Negova helmet, parts of a belt including a hook plate and a socketed axe. The Pokrajinski muzej Celje acquired the artefacts and also investigated the site in 2016. An inhumation burial of a warrior was discovered with additional parts of the belt, a fragment of a fibula and one of a spearhead, as well as a glass bead. Next to it was an inhumation burial of a girl with a necklace of glass beads, pair of bracelets, pair of anklets and a small knife. The grave goods include two significant artefacts. One is a Negova helmet of the Slovenian type, variant Vače, the other a Kovk type belt set with an exceptional hook belt plate. The goods that are latest in date place the burial of both individuals to the early part of the Negova phase. The burials form part of a flat cemetery below the summit of Kovk that held a small hillfort. Together with the group of tumuli at Grobišče, south of the Kovk village that lies southeast of the Kovk hill, they shed additional light on the Iron Age settlement in the Zasavje region of Slovenia.Leta 2015 je bila v Vrtači pod vrhom hriba Kovk nad Hrastnikom naključno odkrita skupina kovinskih predmetov, ki vključuje negovsko čelado, kavljasto pasno spono in druge dele pasne oprave ter tulasto sekiro. Predmete je pridobil Pokrajinski muzej Celje, ki je avgusta 2016 izvedel kontrolno izkopavanje. Odkrit je bil skeletni grob bojevnika z dodatnimi deli pasne oprave, odlomkoma fibule in sulične osti ter stekleno jagodo. Tik ob njem je bil izkopan skeletni grob dekleta z ogrlico iz steklenih jagod, zapestnicama in nanožnicama ter nožičkom. Med predmeti izstopata negovska čelada različice Vače slovenske vrste in pasna oprava vrste Kovk z izjemno kavljasto spono. Najmlajši grobni pridatki določajo čas pokopa obeh oseb v starejšem delu negovske stopnje. Grobova pripadata planemu grobišču pod manjšo utrjeno naselbino na vrhu Kovka. Skupaj s skupino gomil na ledini Grobišče pri Kovku dopolnjujeta vedenje o železnodobni poselitvi Zasavja

The shield boss from Emona (Ljubljana): Celtic weaponry in an Early Roman context

Prispevek obravnava najdbo namerno poškodovane železne ščitne grbe, ki je bila odkrita med zaščitnimi raziskavami na območju insule XLIII v Emoni (Ljubljana, Slovenija). Okrogla grba sodi v skupino poznolatenskih ščitnih grb vzhodnokeltskega oz. balkanskega tipa, ki so jih bojevniki plemen jugovzhodnoalpskega prostora posamično uporabljali še v okviru zavezniških oz. pomožnih enot zgodnjecesarskega časa. Simetrična zvitost krajca in vdrta kalota morda kažeta na obredno dejanje veterana, ki je daroval orožje ob vrnitvi v civilno življenje in naselitvi v novozgrajeno mesto.The article discusses an intentionally deformed iron umbo that was discovered during rescue excavations in the area of insula XLIII in Emona (Ljubljana, Slovenia). The round umbo belongs to the group of Late La Tène Eastern Celtic or Balkan type shield bosses, which were individually used by the warriors of the local tribes of the southeastern Alpine region in the auxiliary infantry and cavalry of the Early Imperial Period. The symmetrical deformation of the flange and the concave dome are perhaps indicative of a ritual act by a veteran, who made an offering of his weapons upon returning to civilian life and settlement in the newly constructed city

Zgodnjerimska ladja iz Ljubljanice pri Sinji Gorici

Preventive underwater archaeological surveying in the bed of the Ljubljanica River, conducted at Sinja Gorica in 2008, revealed the remains of an Early Roman wooden barge from the beginning of the 1st century AD. Detailed documentation of the 4.5m long and 2.8m wide section of the boat followed in October 2012 and included photogrammetric three-dimensional modelling. The construction characteristics and size revealed a boat of the Mediterranean shipbuilding tradition, with an elongated oval shape and a flat bottom and vertical sides, constructed using the shell-first technique and planks fastened with iron clamps, while the hull was reinforced with floor-timbers in a manner not yet published in the relevant literature. The barge, made mostly of beech wood, was built soon after AD 3 according to the dendrochronological analysis. The wood is very poorly preserved. The barge was presumably used to transport cargo between Nauportus and Emona.Med preventivnimi podvodnimi arheološkimi pregledi struge Ljubljanice pri Sinji Gorici leta 2008 so bili med drugim odkriti ostanki zgodnjerimske tovorne ladje z začetka 1. st. n. št. Oktobra 2012 je bil delno raziskan 4,5 m dolg in 2,8 m širok del ladje z ravnim dnom in navpičnimi boki. Za dokumentiranje je bilo uporabljeno fotogrametrično trirazsežnostno modeliranje. Po konstrukcijskih značilnostih in merah gre za rimsko tovorno ladjo sredozemske ladjedelniške tradicije, podolgovate ovalne oblike z ravnim dnom in samonosilno lupino, ki je je bila med gradnjo spojena s številnimi železnimi spojkami, zabitimi čez stike platic. Ladijski trup je bil dodatno spet s talnimi tramiči na način, ki doslej v literaturi še ni bil opisan. Ladja, izdelana pretežno iz bukovega lesa, je bila glede na rezultate dendrokronološke analize zgrajena kmalu po letu 3 našega štetja. Pregled je pokazal, da je les zelo slabo ohranjen. Sklepamo, da je bila ladja uporabljena za prevoz tovora med Navportom in Emono